Rail-joint.



E. G. FIDLER.

RAIL JOINT.v

MPLICATION FILED APR. 1. I916..

1 %3,82 11w Patented Jul '24, 1917.-

' 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

WITNESSES ATTORNEY E. G. HDLER. RAlLlQiNT. APPLICATION HLED APR. 1, 9E6.

I lfimfimw Patented July 24, 1917 2 SHEET 5555 [ET 2.

ATTORNEY sae TNT RAIL-JOINT.

Application filed April 1, 1916.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EARL G. Fromm, a citizen of the United States,residing at Garrett, in the county of Somerset and State ofPennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rail-Joints, of which the following is a specification. V

This invention relates to rail joints, and has more special reference,to an improved boltless joint.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a joint of thecharacter described, whereby, the rail engaging chairs are so supported,as to, when moved in opposite relative directions, automatically clampand securethe adjoining ends of the rail sections.

Another important characteristic of the invention, resides in theprovision of novel means, whereby, further movement of the rail chairs,when moved into a clamping position, will be positively prevented.

It is also among the aims and objects of this invention, to provide arail joint, which will be of exceedingly simple construction, thevarious constituent elements thereof, being closely assembled; one whichis eilicient for the purpose to which it is designed, and finally,strong and durable in use.

Other improvements and novel details in the construction and arrangementof the various parts of the apparatus, will be brought out more indetail in the description to follow, which, for a clear under- .standingof the invention, should be considered 1n connection wlth theaccompanying drawings, forming a part thereof, and wherein is dlsclosed,for the purpose of 11- lustration, convenlent and satisfactoryembodiments of the invention.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved joint, asapplied;

Fig. 2 is a top plan, partly in section;

Fig. 3 is a transverse section taken on the line 33 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 1 is a transverse section, taken on the line 4L4= of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a detail of the supplemental clamping member; and

Fig. 6 is a detail in perspective of its complemental or coactingclamping member.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, wherein like referencecharacters designate like or corresponding parts Specification ofLetters Patent.

Patented July 24, 191 7.

Serial No. 88,369.

throughout the several views thereof, it may be stated, that theadjoining rail sections are designated by the numerals 1 and 2, whilethe cross ties are indicated at 3, in general.

Referring now to the present improvements I provide complemental. railsecuring chairs 4 and 5, which are provided with vertically disposedbracing webs 6. The rail securing chair a is provided with a baseportion 7, ,which has arranged therein, a diagonally extending way 8, itbeing noted that the outer extremity of the base portion 7, adjacent theway 8, is provided with a substantially tapered arm 9, the inner face ofwhich is beveled as at 10, while, the opposite side of the way 8, formedby the base portion 7, is beveled as at 11. To provide for means wherebya portion of the rail may be supported upon the base 7, I arrangethereupon a laterally extended portion 12, which portion is providedwith, adjacent its outer extremity, a depending rib 13. The remainingail securing chair 5, is so constructed as to be received within thediagonally arranged way 8, as formed in the base portion 7 and comprisesa base portion 14, having arranged upon its under face, a depending leg15, the outer face of which is beveled to conform to the portion 10,while the opposite side face has formed thereupon, a lateral extension16 the said extension having arrangedthereupon a vertically projectingrib 17 the outer face of which is beveled to conform to the side or face11 of the said portion 7. It will be noted that the rail chairs a and 5extend slightly beyond their respective base portions, as indicated at18 and 19, permitting the same to rest upon the cross ties 3. Notches asgenerally indicated at 20, are ar ranged adjacent the edges of the saidchairs, to permit the driving of spikes 21 into the cross ties, theheads of the spikes engaging with the rail chairs and consequently,securely afiixing the same to said cross ties.

In order to provide for means whereby further movement of the railsecuring chairs will be prevented, when once the adjoining rail sectionshave been clamped therebetween, I arrange upon one end of the chair 4,an elongated support 22; Formed integrally with the outer extremity ofthis support, is a clamping element 23, which has arranged adjacent itsouter side, a hooked or rail engaging portion 24, while the inner sidethereof is reduced to provide a portion 25, which portion has arrangedtherein, a diagonally extending groove 26. To the forward end of thedevice, there is secured an extending lug or stop 27, which stop isadapted to engage with the adjacent side of a cross tie 8. Acomplemental fastening member 28 having formed upon its outer side, ahooked or rail engaging portion 29 1 and a reduced part 30, so formed asto provide a diagonally extending engaging finger 31, which engagingfinger is engaged with a diagonally extending groove 26 as arranged inthe first mentioned clamping member 23. The other rail chair 5 hasformed upon the opposite end thereof, a similar elongated element 32, ofless length than the elongated support 22, and, has arranged upon itsouter extremity a clamping member constructed in exact accordance withthe clamping member 23, with the exception, that the stop 27, isomitted. A complemental clamping member is engageable with this secondmentioned clamping member and is also constructed in a similar manner asthe clamping member 28. Hence, it is deemed, that the description ofthis second mentioned clamping member is unnecessary, since thosenumerals as applied to the first mentioned clamping members may besimilarly applied in this particular instance. Attention is directed tothe fact that the inclined grooves 26 and the inclined fingers 31 of theclamping members' 23 and 28 respectively are arranged so as to extend ina direction opposite to the diagonal or inclined Way 8, in the baseportion 7.

In operation, the adjoining rail sections 1 and 2 are received by therail chairs 4 and 5, the way 8. as arranged in the base portion 7 isaccordingly engaged with the depending leg 15. Thus, when the baseportions 7 and 14 are moved in relatively opposite directions, the railchairs 4 and 5, will, due to the diagonally arranged way 8 and thesimilarly constructed depending leg portion 15, be moved laterallytoward each other, consequently, firmly clamping the ends of saidadjoining rail sections. It is to be also noted that the clampingmembers 23 and 28, as arranged upon the elongated supporting member 22are engaged with the base of one of the adjoining rail sections, namely,2, while the clamping members as arranged upon the elongated supportingmember 32 are engaged with the base portion of the remaining adjoiningsection, namely, 1. The clamping members 23 and 28 and the similarclamping member 32 which are engaged with the abutting rail sectionswill, should relative movement of the said sections be permitted, clampupon the base portions of the said rails. This clamping action is due tothe arrangement of the inclined ways and fingers, thus preventingspreading of the rails which would otherwise be permitted especially inthe event that the spike or other securing means should become worn orbroken. The stop 27 as arranged upon the clamping element 23 will abutthe near side of the adjacent tie 3, and consequently prevent furthermovement of the said element. Should for any reason, the spike 21,become broken or worn to such an extent as to permit a slight relativemovement of either of the rail chairs 4: and 5, the clamping members 23and 28, due to the opposite arrangement of the grooves 26 and engagingfingers 31, will accordingly be moved toward each other, thereby,causing the rail engaging portions 24- and 29 to bind the oppositelydisposed portions of the rail base with which they are engaged.

It will be understood that the drawings illustrate a preferredembodiment of the invention and that minor changes in this particularconstruction and wrangement of parts, may be made within the scope ofthe appended claims, Without deviating from I the nature or principle ofmy invention.

I claim 1. In a rail joint, including abutting rail receiving means, andclamping means car ried by and arranged beyond the'ends of saidreceiving means and engaged with the abutting rail sections, saidclamping means being adapted to grip the rail base more tightly uponseparation of the rails.

2. In a rail joint, rail receiving chairs, and wedge actuated clampingmeans ar- 100 ranged adjacent said chairs and engaged with the abuttingrail sections for preventing relative movement of the same in saidchairs.

3. In a rail joint, rail receiving chairs, 105 clamping means arrangedadjacent said chairs and engaged with the abutting rail sections forpreventing relative movement of the same in said chairs, and meansarranged upon said clamping means for causing late 110 eral movement ofthe clamping means when shifted longitudinally.

4. In a rail joint, rail receiving chairs, clamping members carried byand extending beyond the ends of said chairs and engaged 115 with theabutting rail sections for preventing relative movement thereof in saidchairs, and means arr. nged upon the base portions of the clampingmembers for causing lateral movement thereof whenshifted lorigitudi- 12nally.

5. In a rail joint, rail securing chairs, clamping means carried by andarranged beyond the ends of said chairs, said clamping means beingengaged with the abutting 5 rail sections, and means carried by one ofthe clamping means engageable with an obj ect for limiting the movementthereof.

6. In a rail joint, rail securing chairs,

clamping members carried by and extend- 3 ing beyond the ends of saidchairs, said clamping members comprising interlocked slidable elements,and means arranged upon said slidable elements for causing lateralmovement thereof When shifted longitudinally.

7. In a rail joint, rail securing chairs, clamping members arranged atthe ends of said chairs and engaged With the abutting rail sections,said clamping members comprising slidable portions for diagonallyarranged interconnected portions formed upon their adjacent ends wherebythe same Will be caused to move laterally upon longitudinal movement ofthe interconnected portions.

8. A rail joint including rail clamping chairs adapted to receive andsecure the abutting ends of the rail sections, interlocked base portionssupporting said chairs, one of said base portions being provided With adiagonally arranged track- Way adapted to receive said second mentionedbase portion, whereby said rail chairs Will be moved laterally uponrelative longitudinal movement of said base portions, and clamping meansarranged adjacent said clamping chairs for preventing furtherlongitudinal movement of the same When moved to a clamping position,said clamping means comprising slidable hooked portions havingdiagonally arranged inter-connected portions formed upon their adjacentextremities whereby said hooked members will be moved laterally uponlongitudinal movement of said diagonally interconnected portions.

In testimony whereof I a'l'fix my signature in presence of twoWitnesses.

EARL G. FIDLER. WVitnesses:

M. E. JONES, W. F. KnLLoGG.

Copies 01' this patent may be obtained for five cents each, byaddressing the Gommissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G.

